User Reviews (13)

This cable will sound very clean. They throw a proper soundstage. When the music gets complex cheaper cables tend to sound muddy but these cables will hold the stage very well. Instruments are clear as well. Problem is that these cables will expose any weak link that you have in your system, specially if your using a cheap amplifier. cheaper cables tend to sound muddy or have rolled of highs so your not able to pick the weak components. Hence you find reviews where people criticise these cables. The system must be capable of performing, if not then don't waste your money on these cables. However these cables do tend to have a slight brightness to it. This does make voices very clear ad you can hear the voice articulting very well but this also means that bright systems get a slight boost and may sound too sharp. Test the cables to see if they sound good with your system.

This cable will sound very clean. They throw a proper soundstage. When the music gets complex cheaper cables tend to sound muddy but these cables will hold the stage very well. Instruments are clear as well. Problem is that these cables will expose any weak link that you have in your system, specially if your using a cheap amplifier. cheaper cables tend to sound muddy or have rolled of highs so your not able to pick the weak components. Hence you find reviews where people criticise these cables. The system must be capable of performing, if not then don't waste your money on these cables. However these cables do tend to have a slight brightness to it. This does make voices very clear ad you can hear the voice articulting very well but this also means that bright systems get a slight boost and may sound too sharp. Test the cables to see if they sound good with your system.

This particular interconnect blows major goats and I am NOT a Monster Cable basher.I own a pair of 80$ Monster Z1 speaker cables and they sound great on my B&W dm602s and Pioneer Elite components.This interconnect is worse than the lower priced mkII300 interconnect and at the time I actually prefered the sound of my optical cable over it. People, do yourself a favor and leave your local strip-mall Circuit City or Good Guys and venture off to the nearest Hi-Fi shop. Any sub100$ Straightwire or Audioquest interconnect sounds galaxies better. Kills the imaging, muddles the bass, adds grain to the highs, only slightly better dynamic performance than an OTB cable...Brought to you by the proponents of AudioQuest Cables INC

Similar Products Used:
AudioQuest Sidewinder

OVERALLRATING

1

★★★★★

★★★★★

VALUERATING

1

★★★★★

★★★★★

mitmantim AudioPhile

[Jan 06, 2004]

Strength:

Looks like it could sound good

Weakness:
Doesn't sound unlike it doesn't look.

This particular interconnect blows major goats and I am NOT a Monster Cable basher.I own a pair of 80$ Monster Z1 speaker cables and they sound great on my B&W dm602s and Pioneer Elite components.This interconnect is worse than the lower priced mkII300 interconnect and at the time I actually prefered the sound of my optical cable over it. People, do yourself a favor and leave your local strip-mall Circuit City or Good Guys and venture off to the nearest Hi-Fi shop. Any sub100$ Straightwire or Audioquest interconnect sounds galaxies better. Kills the imaging, muddles the bass, adds grain to the highs, only slightly better dynamic performance than an OTB cable...Brought to you by the proponents of AudioQuest Cables INC

Weakness:
May sound a little flat, or not flat enough, depending in what your looking for.

Decent cable. Not the best for every type of music, The time correct windings do well for an even sound, but will not add any "bite" or low end to the music.

OVERALLRATING

4

★★★★★

★★★★★

VALUERATING

3

★★★★★

★★★★★

satrams
AudioPhile [Nov 27, 2002]

Strength:

Sound

Weakness:

Quality

I would rate the interconnects as sounding great, but of poor workmanship- they have begun cutting out intermittently after only a few weeks of use (jack connection) I feel I need to comment about Beavisbutthead's review of the SPDIF cable. I am an audio engineer, and he is quite incorrect in his assumptions. Digital signals have a much larger bandwidth (frequency range) than audio signals, so that a low quality RCA has a good chance of causing errors in the digital data stream- which may or may not become noticeable to the listener.

OVERALLRATING

3

★★★★★

★★★★★

VALUERATING

2

★★★★★

★★★★★

satrams AudioPhile

[Nov 27, 2002]

Strength:

Sound

Weakness:
Quality

I would rate the interconnects as sounding great, but of poor workmanship- they have begun cutting out intermittently after only a few weeks of use (jack connection) I feel I need to comment about Beavisbutthead's review of the SPDIF cable. I am an audio engineer, and he is quite incorrect in his assumptions. Digital signals have a much larger bandwidth (frequency range) than audio signals, so that a low quality RCA has a good chance of causing errors in the digital data stream- which may or may not become noticeable to the listener.

OVERALLRATING

3

★★★★★

★★★★★

VALUERATING

2

★★★★★

★★★★★

Watusi
Audiophile [Dec 29, 2000]

Strength:

Quality sound. Cleaner and tighter bass

Weakness:

Its not the best cable out there, but it does the job on mid-line equipment

I'm not going to get technical, but I did notice an improved performance over the radio-shack RCA connectors. I am using the cable in my bedroom HT setup to run from my digital cable box to my receiver. The receiver is an old Pro-Logic Sony and it is dying on me, but I could immediately hear the difference. It is a cleaner, crisper sound, with definite improvements in the base. This is my first Monster purchase, as I have always been scared away from these type of cables due to the crappy reviews. But so far, so good!!

Similar Products Used:
Kimber, Radio-Shack, "out of the box" cables

OVERALLRATING

4

★★★★★

★★★★★

VALUERATING

4

★★★★★

★★★★★

Watusi Audiophile

[Dec 29, 2000]

Strength:

Quality sound. Cleaner and tighter bass

Weakness:
Its not the best cable out there, but it does the job on mid-line equipment

I'm not going to get technical, but I did notice an improved performance over the radio-shack RCA connectors. I am using the cable in my bedroom HT setup to run from my digital cable box to my receiver. The receiver is an old Pro-Logic Sony and it is dying on me, but I could immediately hear the difference. It is a cleaner, crisper sound, with definite improvements in the base. This is my first Monster purchase, as I have always been scared away from these type of cables due to the crappy reviews. But so far, so good!!

Similar Products Used:
Kimber, Radio-Shack, "out of the box" cables

OVERALLRATING

4

★★★★★

★★★★★

VALUERATING

4

★★★★★

★★★★★

Keith F.
Audio Enthusiast [Dec 26, 1999]

Strength:

well shielded, tight fit

Sound good for the $. I'm a little skeptical about this whole cable issue. They sound fine to me.

OVERALLRATING

4

★★★★★

★★★★★

VALUERATING

4

★★★★★

★★★★★

Keith F. Audio Enthusiast

[Dec 26, 1999]

Strength:

well shielded, tight fit

Sound good for the $. I'm a little skeptical about this whole cable issue. They sound fine to me.

OVERALLRATING

4

★★★★★

★★★★★

VALUERATING

4

★★★★★

★★★★★

Beavis Butthead
Audiophile [Jul 20, 2001]

Strength:

NONE

Weakness:

Everything

I have purchased Monstercable in the past thinking it would improve my picture and sound quality...The truth is wire is wire...it makes no difference what brand you use. I think some of monstercables products are fradulant..for instance the Interlink Datalink Digital Coax cable...its a wire a wire it self can not be digital..it has no technology in it...the guy at crcuitcity said i HAD to have it form my Dolby 5.1 system...all it was was a glorified RCA type cable...thats it..i waisted 40 dollars on a peice of 2 and a half foot wire..when i could have went to walmart and got something for a buck or two that would work exactly the same...in fact i did and i returned the Monster Cable..and you know what i could'nt tell a difference between the two..know why? Because with 5.1 its a digital signal..in other words the signal is either there or it aint the quality is constant no matter what brand is written on the wire or what the circuitcity guys tells you... so becareful all you folks who think you might volnurable to marketing fraud..

Similar Products Used:
Regular Cables

OVERALLRATING

1

★★★★★

★★★★★

VALUERATING

1

★★★★★

★★★★★

Beavis Butthead Audiophile

[Jul 20, 2001]

Strength:

NONE

Weakness:
Everything

I have purchased Monstercable in the past thinking it would improve my picture and sound quality...The truth is wire is wire...it makes no difference what brand you use. I think some of monstercables products are fradulant..for instance the Interlink Datalink Digital Coax cable...its a wire a wire it self can not be digital..it has no technology in it...the guy at crcuitcity said i HAD to have it form my Dolby 5.1 system...all it was was a glorified RCA type cable...thats it..i waisted 40 dollars on a peice of 2 and a half foot wire..when i could have went to walmart and got something for a buck or two that would work exactly the same...in fact i did and i returned the Monster Cable..and you know what i could'nt tell a difference between the two..know why? Because with 5.1 its a digital signal..in other words the signal is either there or it aint the quality is constant no matter what brand is written on the wire or what the circuitcity guys tells you... so becareful all you folks who think you might volnurable to marketing fraud..

Similar Products Used:
Regular Cables

OVERALLRATING

1

★★★★★

★★★★★

VALUERATING

1

★★★★★

★★★★★

Chris
Audio Enthusiast [Dec 07, 2001]

Strength:

You get what you pay forPlenty of sheilding wich is very important with my set up.The "8 cut turbine" makes it easyer to connect and unconnect with out ripping the jacks out of the reiver{unlike a pair of radio shacks i had a while back}

Weakness:

None that i can state at the moment{but there are always some}.

Not to bad.You get what you pay for and nothing more.I did not notice the fuller yet clearer sound they have over the in the box cables and radio shacks untill i burnt them in awhile but at the same time i got a new pair of speakers.....but i dont feel like telling you all of this so to make a long story short they made my low class system sound pretty damn nice for the price.

OVERALLRATING

4

★★★★★

★★★★★

VALUERATING

3

★★★★★

★★★★★

Chris Audio Enthusiast

[Dec 07, 2001]

Strength:

You get what you pay forPlenty of sheilding wich is very important with my set up.The "8 cut turbine" makes it easyer to connect and unconnect with out ripping the jacks out of the reiver{unlike a pair of radio shacks i had a while back}

Weakness:
None that i can state at the moment{but there are always some}.

Not to bad.You get what you pay for and nothing more.I did not notice the fuller yet clearer sound they have over the in the box cables and radio shacks untill i burnt them in awhile but at the same time i got a new pair of speakers.....but i dont feel like telling you all of this so to make a long story short they made my low class system sound pretty damn nice for the price.

OVERALLRATING

4

★★★★★

★★★★★

VALUERATING

3

★★★★★

★★★★★

Dustin
Audio Enthusiast [Nov 27, 1999]

Strength:

Accurate bass and treble?

Weakness:

Not enough performance for the money.

I am an Audio product specialist at BestBuy in Peoria,Ill. I've worked there for over 7 monthes now and over the monthes have gained a knowledge of the products we sell. While we are pushed to sell high-end products such as this one, I will admit that it is not worth it. In fact, in every test I have run, I have never been able to find the difference between the 400 series and the 100 series. Monster cable in general did destroy any competetor. My advise: stick with low end Monster cable or look else where.

Similar Products Used:
Every cable sold at BestBuy

OVERALLRATING

3

★★★★★

★★★★★

VALUERATING

2

★★★★★

★★★★★

Dustin Audio Enthusiast

[Nov 27, 1999]

Strength:

Accurate bass and treble?

Weakness:
Not enough performance for the money.

I am an Audio product specialist at BestBuy in Peoria,Ill. I've worked there for over 7 monthes now and over the monthes have gained a knowledge of the products we sell. While we are pushed to sell high-end products such as this one, I will admit that it is not worth it. In fact, in every test I have run, I have never been able to find the difference between the 400 series and the 100 series. Monster cable in general did destroy any competetor. My advise: stick with low end Monster cable or look else where.

Similar Products Used:
Every cable sold at BestBuy

OVERALLRATING

3

★★★★★

★★★★★

VALUERATING

2

★★★★★

★★★★★

Desmond Parfait
Audio Enthusiast [Mar 24, 2001]

Strength:

Strengths may be dependent upon individual system and the systems environment...THIS IS AN IMPORTANT POINT!

Weakness:

(Same as above).

I admit that I have not,and probably will not ever,spend more than $100 bucks on a meter-long pair of audio- interconnects. I also know that I am not alone in thinking that an "expensive" interconnect will not necessarily out-perform a budget one - as a matter of fact,expensive ones can degrade your sound just as surely as a cheap version! The reason is that while you may pay more for expensive construction,materials,etc..,cables are always a system-specific thing. What may work fine in your buddy's exactly identical components may not work in your environment due to things like your individual power-supply,system layout,and other nitpicky characteristics - even room acoustics and subjective personal sensibilities are involved. So,we do well to remember that nothing involving electronics is simple. The solution to the dilemna is to find a true audiophile outlet that stocks "loaner" cables of every variety they sell,and will let you audition at home whatever cable you are considering. These loaners also offer the additional advantage of already being "burned-in" (you may have to leave a deposit). Any Hi-End store that does not acknowledge the sense of this arrangement is not worth their keep and should be passed over. You may also be able to contact your component's manufacturer for reccomendations as many of them have done some research but be aware that some of them have taken a little "payola" to back some certain brand(s). But,the final word is what sounds good to you on your system,so take everything with a grain of salt. All of the cables I have tried,including the Monster 1400 have imparted a slightly different quality and none have sounded abolutely bad. My tastes run toward the richer midrange that I notice with the Rockford-Fosgate triple shielded and this is not because they are in any way necessarily the finest cable to be had. Many products are not exactly over-hyped,but are presented in the light of half-truth. Cables are one of the biggest examples of this marketing strategy. And cables are akin to something like "jewelry" on the body of your audio-system - they can enhance,complete,complement,but that is all. I live in a small town and do not have the luxury of an audiophile-dealer who makes cable loans,so I am still experimenting as I am able. But anyone who reccomends one cetain esoteric cable for all must be a little bit on the ignorant side. As far as "expensive" cables go,BEFORE YOU BUY IT,TRY IT!

Strengths may be dependent upon individual system and the systems environment...THIS IS AN IMPORTANT POINT!

Weakness:
(Same as above).

I admit that I have not,and probably will not ever,spend more than $100 bucks on a meter-long pair of audio- interconnects. I also know that I am not alone in thinking that an "expensive" interconnect will not necessarily out-perform a budget one - as a matter of fact,expensive ones can degrade your sound just as surely as a cheap version! The reason is that while you may pay more for expensive construction,materials,etc..,cables are always a system-specific thing. What may work fine in your buddy's exactly identical components may not work in your environment due to things like your individual power-supply,system layout,and other nitpicky characteristics - even room acoustics and subjective personal sensibilities are involved. So,we do well to remember that nothing involving electronics is simple. The solution to the dilemna is to find a true audiophile outlet that stocks "loaner" cables of every variety they sell,and will let you audition at home whatever cable you are considering. These loaners also offer the additional advantage of already being "burned-in" (you may have to leave a deposit). Any Hi-End store that does not acknowledge the sense of this arrangement is not worth their keep and should be passed over. You may also be able to contact your component's manufacturer for reccomendations as many of them have done some research but be aware that some of them have taken a little "payola" to back some certain brand(s). But,the final word is what sounds good to you on your system,so take everything with a grain of salt. All of the cables I have tried,including the Monster 1400 have imparted a slightly different quality and none have sounded abolutely bad. My tastes run toward the richer midrange that I notice with the Rockford-Fosgate triple shielded and this is not because they are in any way necessarily the finest cable to be had. Many products are not exactly over-hyped,but are presented in the light of half-truth. Cables are one of the biggest examples of this marketing strategy. And cables are akin to something like "jewelry" on the body of your audio-system - they can enhance,complete,complement,but that is all. I live in a small town and do not have the luxury of an audiophile-dealer who makes cable loans,so I am still experimenting as I am able. But anyone who reccomends one cetain esoteric cable for all must be a little bit on the ignorant side. As far as "expensive" cables go,BEFORE YOU BUY IT,TRY IT!